Adjustable reclining chair



Oct. 23, 1956 w. A. FORRY ADJUSTABLE RECLINING CHAIR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 18, 1952 INVENTOR.

WILL/AM A. FOR/'7) Arromvtx 23, 1956 w. A. FORRY 2,767,772

ADJUSTABLE RECLINING CHAIR Filed NOV. 18, 1952 i 3 Sheets-Sheet.

IN VE N 7 0R.

W/L LIAM A. FORE) Ba ATTOR/VE).

Oct. 23, 1956 w. A. FORRY 2,767,772

I ADJUSTABLE RECLINING CHAIR Filed Nov. 18, 1952 3 Sheets-Shee 5 INVENTOR. WILL/AM A. FOR/1") ATTORNEY ADJUSTABLE RECLININ G CHAIR William A. Forry, Chicago, Ill., 'assignor to Jacob Reuben, Highland Park, Ill.

Application November 18, 1952, Serial No. 321,139

Claims. (Cl. 155-106) This invention relates to an adjustable reclining chair and more particularly to a chair in which the back, seat and foot rest are interconnected by links to provide free and easy adjustment of the movable parts. The invention is an improvement over my pending application S. N. 300,097, filed July 21, 1952.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an adjustable reclining chair in which the weight of the person sitting thereon will cause the movable links to be positively retained in any adjusted position and thereby maintain the seat, back and foot rest in such adjusted position.

Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable reclining chair in which seat, back and foot rest are adjustably interconnected as a unit and removably secured to the supporting frame.

Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable reclining chair in which the adjustable seat, back and foot rest comprise one unit and the supporting frame another unit and where each may be constructed separately and independently of the other, with the first unit secured to the second unit merely by positioning same therein.

Another object is to provide an adjustable reclining chair which may be readily and easily upholstered and assembled in manufacture, which may be packed, shipped and stored to require a minimum of space and which may be readily repaired.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses. 7

- In the drawings: V Fig. 1 is a frontyiew of the reclining chair in its fully upright position.

Fig. '2 is a side elevational view of same andshowing an adjusted position of same in phantom lines.

Fig. '3 is an exploded perspective view showing the tinterconnect'ed seat, back and foot rest as one unit and the support as the other unit.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a hingepla'te.

-Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on lines 55 of Fig. 1 and showing an adjusted position in phantom lines.

Fig. 6 is a view partly in cross section taken on lines 6-- 6 ofFi'gS.

"Fig. 7 is a view partly in cross section taken on lines 7-7 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a view partly in cross section taken on lines 8-8 of Fig. 5. a

Fig. 9 is a view of a modification which'may be used in lieu of the rollers, and a m 10 :is a perspective view of a modified .form of hinge plate and locking member.

' The chair is formed of a supporting framework 'cfom- United States Patent 0 2,767,772 Patented Oct. 23, 1956 prising a pair of side members 10 and 12, spacedly joined together by a pair of bottom cross members 14 and a rear cross member 16. The framework is suitably upholstered as desired.

Secured to the inside of the framework are a pair of rear hinge plates 18 and a pair of front hinge plates 20. The hinge plate is best shown in Fig. 4 and comprises a metal plate bent to provide a space 21 between it and the surface to which it is secured. A slot 22 is provided in the front wall.

The back, seat and leg rest to be described are connected together as a unit to be movable in various adjusted positions in the support and same is bodily insertable and removable as a unit with respect to the support. The hinge plates 18 and 20 are secured to the side members 10 and 12 by screws 23.

The back rest 24 has a lower extension 26, which extends below the plane of the seat generally indicated at 28. Secured to the opposite sides of the seat adjacent the rear thereof as at 30 .is a metal bar or plate 32 which extends rearwardly of the seat and is pivotally secured and connected as at 34 to the offset forwardly extending portion 35 of a bar 36. The bar 36 is fixedly secured as at 38 to the sides of the back rest 24. Bar 36 supports a pin 40 having a head 42. The pin 40 fits within the slot 22 of the hinge plates 18 and the head 42 is confined in the space 21 between the plate and side supports 10 and 12.

Thus it will be seen that the seat and back rest are pivotally connected at their opposite sides and that same are removably supported on the side supports of the frame.

Pivot-ally secured at at 44 to the sides of the lower end of the extension 26 is a link 46. The upper end of link 46 is pivotally secured as at 48 to the intermediate portion of link 50. The lower end of link 50 carries a pin 52 having a head 53 similar to pin 40. The pin 52 is secured in the slotted hinge plates 20 adjacent the lower front portions of the side supports 10 and 12. The upper end of link 50 carries a rotatablemetal roller 54 which rides within and engages a metal cammed plate generally indicated at 56 to be described.

Secured to the insides of the side walls of the seat as at 58 is the metal cam plate 56 having a cam surface engaged by the rollers 54. The roller 54 and the link 59 will move through the are described by the cam surface 60 as will be more fully described in connection with the operation of this device.

The leg rest generally indicated at 62 has a flat surface 63 and rearwardly extending top and bottom walls 64 and 65 and side walls 66. Secured to the inside of the side walls 66 as at 67 is a plate generally indicated at 68, which plate extends rearwardly of the foot rest and upwardly in an inverted L shape. The upper end of the plate 68 is pivotally secured as at 69 to the inside of the forward end of the side walls of the seat 28. A short link 70 has one end pivotally secured as at 71 to :the plate 68, the opposite end of the link being pivotally secured to the same pivot 48 as links 46 :and 50.. 1

In the fully upright position of the chair the parts will be as shown in Fig. l and the full lines of Figs. 2 and 5, with the foot support '62 in a vertical position adjacent the front of the chair. The rollers 54 :on links 5% will be positioned at the rearmost position of the cam surface 60. When there is no weight on the seat .28 of the chair the surface 60 of the cam member 56 will be in slight frictional contact with the roller 54 so that movement of links 46 and 50 will be unimpeded and consequently the chair may be adjusted to any of its adjustable positions by tilting the back 24. Pivo'ting the back 24 rearwardly as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, will operate pivoted "link 46, to move pivoted link 50 forwardly about its lower pivot on the hinge plates 20, thus elevating the link 50 which in turn through the engagement of roller 54 and the cam surface 60 moves the front portion of the seat upwardly. Simultaneously the link 70 will be moved forwardly to elevate the pivoted foot rest 62. The reverse will take place with the reverse or forward tilting of the back 24. The back, seat and foot rest are movable to either of the extreme positions shown in Fig. 2 or to any intermediate position. The rear cross member 16 acts as a stop to limit the rearward tilting of the back which it engages as shown in Fig. 2.

In any moved position of the parts, the seat, back and leg rest will be maintained in this moved position as though positively locked by virtue of the weight of the person resting on the seat, which causes the seat and cam plates 56 thereon to move downwardly and increase the frictional contact between the rollers 54 and the cam surfaces 60 and thereby lock the links 46 and 50 from further movement until pressure has been released by relieving the weight on the seat. Shifting or adjustment of the seat, back and foot rest may be accomplished even while the person is seated as by grasping the arms of the side supports and 12 of the frame and lifting the persons body slightly upward and at the same time bearing against the back of the chair to the desired position. This will be sufficient to permit the links and the roller 54 on the link 50 to move with respect to the cam plate 56. However, merely lowering the persons weight on the seat will again lock the parts in their moved or adjusted position.

By using the rollers 54, binding of the parts is eliminated, however, it will be understood that the rollers 54 may be eliminated and a curved block of wood may be secured to the top of link 50 which block engages the cam surface 60 in much the same manner as rollers 54. This modification will tend to increase the normal friction between the parts and thus increase the pressure necessary to move the seat, back and leg support.

The link 50 is provided with a plurality of spaced openings 51, any one of which may be used in connecting the links 50, 70, and 46 with the pivot member 48. Thus the back and leg rest may be initially adjusted.

The frame, back, seat and foot rest may be upholstered or covered with suitable coverings, as desired.

As shown and described the seat, back and foot rest are interconnected as a unit and may be readily secured to the support as a unit merely by placing the pivot pins 40 and 52 in the hinge plates 18 and 20 respectively. The unit may be readily removed merely by lifting same therefrom. This permits the frame to be easily upholstered and permits the removal unit namely the seat, chair and leg rest to be easily upholstered, after which the links may be readily and easily secured thereto.

Fig. 10 shows a modified form of hingle plate which may be substituted for the hinge plates 18 and 20. In the modified construction the plate 80 is constructed similar to plates 18 and 20, but includes downturned top lips which form channels 82 on the opposite sides of the slot. A slidable rod 84 having a head 85 and a threaded end engaging a nut 86 is received within the channels. The rod is withdrawn from the channels to permit insertion into the slot 81 of the pivot pins 40 and 52 carried on the bars 36 and links 50 respectively. The rod is then pushed into the channels to close the top of the slot 81 and retain the pivot pin therein against disengagement. The rod is locked by a nut 86. This construcwise repair is facilitated by this construction. In packing and shipping the frames may be packed separately and the removable units may be positioned in a fiat posi' tion and packed, thus more chairs may be packed and stored in a given area than if shipped as completed individual chairs.

It will be understood that various changes may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An adjustable reclining chair comprising a support having a pair of slotted front hinge plates and a pair of slotted rear hinge plates, said support constituting one unit. a back rest, seat and foot rest pivotally secured to each other and constituting a separate unit, a cam member secured to said seat, a link pivotally secured to the lower end of said back rest, a second link pivotally secured to said first link and having a pin at the lower end thereof in detachable engagement with the slot of one of said front hinge plates, said second link having means at the top thereof engaging the cam member on said seat, a third link pivotally secured to said first two mentioned links and to said pivotal foot rest, a pin secured to said back rest adjacent each side thereof in detachable engagement with the slots of said rear hinge plates.

2. An adjustable reclining chair comprising a support having a pair of slotted front hinge plates and a pair of slotted rear hinge plates, said support constituting a first unit, a back rest, seat and foot rest pivotally secured to each other and constituting a separate unit which is adapted to be detachably secured to said first unit, a cam member on the underside of said seat, a link pivotally secured to the lower end of said back rest, a second link pivotally secured to said first link and having a pin at the lower end thereof in detachable engagement with the slot of one of said front hinge plates, said second link having means engaging the cam member on said seat, a third link pivotally secured to said first two mentioned links and to said pivotal foot rest, a pin secured to said back rest adjacent each side thereof in detachable engagement with the slots of said rear hinge plates.

3. An adjustable reclining chair comprising a support having a pair of slotted front hinge plates secured to the lower front of said support, and a pair of slotted rear hinge plates, a seat having a cam surface on the underside thereof, a bar secured to each side of the seat and extending rearwardly thereof, a back member having a bar secured to each side thereof and extending forwardly thereof and pivotally connected to said seat bars, a pin carried by each said back member bar detachably engaging said rear slotted hinge plates, a foot rest pivotally secured to said seat, a first link pivotally secured to the lower end of said back rest, a second link pivotally secured to said first link and having a pin at the lower end thereof in detachable tion prevents the seat, back and foot rest as a unit from being accidentally detached from the frame support.

The present invention reduces the manufacturing problem in that the removable unit need only be connected together and therefore the workmen can handle same without the necessity of handling both the frame and the removable unit at one time, as is the case where both have to be permanently connected at the factory. Likeengagement with the slots of said front hinge plates, said second link having means at the top thereof engaging the cam surface on the seat, a third link pivotally secured to said first two mentioned links and to said pivotal foot rest.

4. An adjustable reclining chair comprising a support, a back rest pivotally secured to said support, a seat pivotally supported on said support, a leg rest pivotally secured to the seat, a link member pivotally secured to the lower end of said back rest, a second link member pivotally secured to the front of said support and pivotally connected to said first link, a third link member pivotally secured to said first two mentioned links and to said pivotal leg rest, means carried by said second link member frictionally engaging the seat and so constructed and arranged that said links may be readily operated to simultaneously move said back, seat and leg rest to adjusted positions.

5. An adjustable reclining chair comprising a support, a back rest pivotally secured to said support, a seat pivotally supported on said support, said seat having frictional engaging means thereon, a link member pivotally secured to the lower end of said back rest, a second link pivotally secured at the lower end thereof to the lower front of said support and pivotally secured to said first mentioned link below the top of said second link, said second link having means adjacent the top thereof for frictionally engaging the friction means on said seat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Streit July 12, 1898 Jones July 18, 1899 Coopersmith Dec. 13, 1910 Cromer June 4, 1912 Cromer Nov. 24, 1914 Lorenz Dec. 26, 1950 Lorenz Nov. 11, 1952 

